Key mounting



March 16, 1954 MARTIN 2,672,044

KEY MOUNTING Filed Dec. 21, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

.A 'r TDFNE Y Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv KEY MOUNTING Harry Martin, NewYork, N. Y. Application-December 21, 1950, Serial No. 202,009

1 Claim, 1

The invention, relatestoa key mounting, and is particularly concerned, with novel means for detachably mounting a plurality of keys as a unit with the keys selectively accessible in a convenient manner.

The invention is embodied in the combination of til-plurality of keys each detachably secured, to a similar key or to a suitable backing in pilvotal relationship.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a key mounting of the character described.

Another object of the invention is to provide one key with. a. stud rigidly mounted. thereon and a companion key with a socket into which said stud fits to, hold said keys. in pivotal relationship.

A further. object of the invention is to provide a. key with a socket whereby it may be detachably mounted pivotally on a suitable backing provided with a studto receive said key.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a key with a socket on one of its faces and a complementary stud on its opposite face, Whereby a plurality of keys may be pivotally mounted in series, with the stud of each key snugly engaged with the socket of the adjacent key.

A further object of the invention is to provide a key with novel structural characteristics.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of two keys mounted together in pivotal relationship in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken substantially along the line 2-4 of Figurel.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a plurality of keys mounted in pivotal relationship.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing a plurality of keys individually mounted in a key case inaccordance withthe teaching of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken substantially along the line 55 of Figure 4-.

The present invention is concerned with a key mounting comprising one or more keys detachably secured together or to a suitable backing so as to constitute a unitary structure in-which each key may be freely moved pivotally relative to any other key. Referring to the disclosure inthe accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show a key i having a head 2' to whicha stud 3 is rigidly secured so as to, project laterally from one side thereof. The stud has a flanged base 4" which is soldered to one side of the head 2 or is secured thereto in any suitable manner. The head 5 of the companion key 6 is provided with a socket member 1 having a flanged base 8 soldered or otherwise rigidly secured to one side of the head. The socket I is preferably provided with a floating ring 9, but any conventional style of stud and socket may be used. The socket is of such size as to cause the floating ring 9 to engage the reduced neck portion 19 of the stud when the stud is snapped into the socket. The engagement between the fioating ring and the reduced neck portion of the stud is snug enough to retain both keys in substantially juxtaposed position, but loose enough to permit free pivotal movement of either key relative to the other and to permit easy separation of the keys when desired.

Th stud 3 and socket l are preferably spaced concentrically relative to the heads of the respective keys to which they are secured so that the keys are in lateral alignment when they are secured together. If desired, either the stud or socket may be offset slightly relative to the head of the key to which it is secured, to cause a corresponding offset between the keys, so as to facilitate identification of either key by the sense of touch.

In Fig. 3 a pair of complementary keys I and 6 are assembled with a plurality of intermediate keys I i, each of which differs from key 6 only in that the head [2 has a stud 3 secured to the side opposite the side to which the socket 1 is secured. This construction permits a series of keys to be secured together in the same manner as keys I and 6 are secured. It will be noted that the distance between the crown [3 of the stud 3 and the outer surface of its base 4 is not greater than the distance from the outer surface of the base 8 of any socket to the opposite surface of the key. Accordingly, the stud 3 never projects beyond the outer surface of the adjacent key pivotally mounted on the stud. Any intermediate key of a series of keys interengaged to form a unit may be removed from the series and the keys on either side of the removed key may be interengaged to reestablish the unit.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 a key holder [4, made of leather, imitation leather, plastic, or any other suitable material, is provided with a plurality of studs [5 secured thereto in any suitable arrangement. As shown, the stud comprises a top portion I6 and a separate base portion l1 crimped together to secure the parts to the holder [4. The stud l5 may be secured to a belt or to the fabric of a persons wearing apparel in the same manner as it is secured to the key holder l4. A key 6 having a socket 1 may be snapped over each stud l5 so as to retain a plurality of keys in the arrangement indicated in Fig. 4, or in any other desired arrangement. Where the size of the holder permits, keys i I may be secured to the stud I5 to any desired thickness so that a plurality of keys may be carried in each position indicated in Fig. 4.

Instead of securing one or more keys to each of the four studs l5, a tab l8, preferably made of the same material as the holder, and provided with a socket l9 adjacent one end thereof, is secured to one of the studs H5. The opposite end of the tab 18 is provided With another socket 19, by means of which the holder may be detachably secured to a stud mounted on a belt or any suitable portion of a persons wearing apparel. In this way the key holder may be detachably secured to a persons belt or wearing apparel so '4 that it is convenient to reach without the necessity of fumbling through a pocket or pocket book. The key holder [4 is also provided with a stud 20 and a socket 2| mounted in a closure tab 22 so that the holder may be held in closed position with the keys protected by the holder.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a few preferred embodiments of th invention hav been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In combination, a series of keys detachably secured together in pivotal relationship, said series comprising one key provided with a socket rigidly secured to one side thereof, a second key provided with a stud rigidly secured to one side thereof, and an intermediate key having a stud and a socket rigidly secured to opposite sides thereof, the stud of said intermediate key being interengageable with said first mentioned socket, and the socket of said intermediate key being interengageable with said first mentioned stud.

HARRY MARTIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 708,534 De Lancey Sept. 9, 1902 1,598,101 Newman Aug. 31, 1926 1,641,110 Wulfing Aug. 30, 1927 1,719,120 Miles July 2, 1929 2,122,934 Economakis July 5, 1938 2,482,422 Loew Sept. 20, 1949 

